Gospel Reflection for the 25th November The Feast of Christ the King
Last Sunday, if we can remember, Jesus spoke to us about the ‘end times.’ Today, as a universal church, we celebrate the great Feast of Christ the King. This is the last Sunday of the current church year. Next Sunday we will begin a new church year with the First Sunday of Advent; our time of prayerful preparation for the birth of Jesus.
Before and at the time of Jesus, kings, queens and royalty were a part of people’s daily lives. Every country and region had its own royal household. These royal leaders had their armies to protect their power, territory and wealth. They often ruled their people with fear and terror; what they said and demanded what done without question. We recall the power that the Romans and King Herod had over the Jewish People. Today, however members of royal families are figureheads and not powerful political heads of state
By the time of Jesus, the Jewish People were waiting for the long promised Messiah. They saw him as an earthly king would create and establish a new kingdom for them. However, God, through the person and mission of Jesus had an altogether different plan! In the gospel, Pilate asks Jesus if he is a king, to which Jesus answers, ‘Yes, I am King.’ Pilate, while he has the power to decide whether Jesus lives or dies, cannot or will not see the King of Kings standing in front of him. At the hands of Pilate, Jesus will die as the King of the Jews. And so today, millions of people proclaim Jesus as their King. Jesus is no mere royal figurehead. He shares that title with Yahweh, ‘great king over all gods.’
When we say the Our Father, we pray, ‘May your kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven.’ The Kingdom of God, which Jesus ushered in through his life, death and resurrection, is not built on power, wealth, prestige or control. It is based on love, mercy, compassion, forgiveness, concern for the poor and powerlessness. This is God’s Kingdom; a vision of us loving each other as brothers and sisters in Christ the King, who came to serve and not to be served.
Today Jesus invites each of us to follow him to and actively build his kingdom whenever and wherever we can by the way we live with and treat each other. He doesn’t and can’t make us do this. He is a King of love, mercy and compassion, not a king of earthly power, fear or control. We are called today, not just to worship Christ the King, but to follow his example and live our daily lives as he showed us. He never wrote a book, he didn’t have an army and he was neither powerful nor wealthy. He was denied and betrayed by his friends; he was beaten and nailed to a cross. He died in a most public and humiliating way, yet this is the one we call ‘Lord and King.’ As the hymn reminds us; ‘This is our God, the Servant King.’
– Br. Michael Moore OMI
Gospel: John 18:33-37
Pilate questions Jesus about kingship and kingdom
Then Pilate entered the headquarters again, summoned Jesus, and asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus answered, “Do you ask this on your own, or did others tell you about me?” Pilate replied, “I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me. What have you done?” Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.” Pilate asked him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Whoever belongs to the truth listens to my voice.”
Sign up below to receive Br Michael’s weekly reflection by email:
